I am one of THOUSANDS of people who have been waiting the new CGRP medications to treat Migraine. Well, here is my short but not so sweet story of my two months with Amovig.
I had no issues once my Neurologist and I submitted the paperwork. They called me within a week or so to arrange for delivery of the medication. The first thing that arrived was a box with the bio-hazard disposal container. That made me stop and think…what have I gotten myself into that I need a bio-hazard disposal container at my home (things that make you go hmmmm).
About a week later, per the schedule, I received my first dose. It arrived packaged in a styrofoam cooler and several ice packs. Pretty slick considering the August heat wave hitting Michigan. I kept the medication in the fridge for a few days while I attempted to sort through the full booklet of paperwork and gave myself time to become acquainted with the instructions. In other words, I was stalling because really, who wants to jab themselves, on purpose, with an auto injector.
By the time mid August rolled around, I found myself in the throws of a pretty nasty level 8 migraine. At this point, putting a needle in my leg, arm or even ass, seemed very reasonable IF it might take some of the head pain away. I am thankful I read the directions before hand as I was in no mental shape to figure this out now. Even having read them ahead of time, I still attempted to inject my leg with the cap still on the auto injector – score 1 for the migraine. When it didn’t really hurt and the window didn’t turn yellow I finally figured out the error of my ways and tried again. This time – success and a might bit of pain although short lived.
Let me put that pain in context…it was NO WHERE NEAR the level of pain associated with my headache so a few deep breathes and it was over.
Hope flowed through me for the next 12-24 hours as I waited for things to play out in my system. At about the 24 hour mark things started going down hill fast. My headache that was already pretty bad got worse. The nausea set in and with that the normal influx of anxiety and shear panic for the impending escalated attack. Thank goodness I have the ER protocol at home because my husband had to come home from work early to give me a shot and roll me back under the covers.
This attack lasted days….long horrible days. I attempted life but it was weak. My focus at work was off and I was not nearly as productive as I needed or wanted to be. Household chores fell to my husband and daughter and I pretty much lived in my bed or attempting to be at my desk. After 2 weeks the fog began to lift. I am sure it began to lift sooner but at the 2 week mark from having taken the Amovig, I started to feel human again- or at least my version of human.
So the first two weeks of September were lived in relative normal existence. My normal headaches continued but I was able to make it to my husbands Labor Day weekend triathalon event. NOTE: this was a big deal because I missed the first three of the summer due to migraines.
I wasn’t in the best shape but I certainly wasn’t in the worst either.
Mid September and my next dose of Amovig arrives. I gear up and do the auto injection the day after my 46th birthday. Not the birthday present I wanted because guess what….within 24 hours I was down AGAIN with a level 9 migraine. We had to break out the ER protocol again and a couple days later yet again. NOT GOOD! This time things seems to get worse and weirder. I was having tingling pain down my right arm and right leg. My blood pressure was way to high and the pain was unbearable, even with the medications. My husband was so concerned he took me to urgent care thinking I could be on the cusp of a heart attack or stroke. Valid concerns given the circumstances but THANK GOD neither were the case. They gave me the all clear, preached caution about the medications I carry in my rescue medication kit and sent me home. Another two weeks of AWFUL, but again the fog finally lifted.
I sit here typing this on the date I was to take my third dose. I am happy my Neurologist agreed with me – NO THIRD DOSE.
We tried, it didn’t work, we will move on. I will try another as they don’t all work the same and I will keep trying until I can find more relief. I will keep pushing forward as a migraine warrior and I encourage ANYONE who reads this – DON’T GIVE UP. Amovig might work for you! If you try and it doesn’t, lets move on to the next one and try again. We cannot stop trying.
Sparkle on…always sparkle on!
C